Coin chute



March 27, 1934. A, scH 1,952,956

COIN CHUTE Filed Oct. 14. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WA. T raise-h March 27, 1934. A. TRATS'CH COIN GHUTE Filed Oct. 14. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WA. Tratsch Patented Mar. 27, 1934 I I v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN CHUTE Walter A..Tratsch, Chicago, Ill. Application October 14, 1932, Serial rte/637,833

8 Claims. (01. 194-93) This invention relates to coin chutes for vendany desired -vending mechanism which latter ing mechanisms and has for its object to provide forms no part of this invention and therefore is a construction simple in parts and more efficient not illustrated in the drawings. This device is in operation than those heretofore proposed. intended to have its coin slide disposed in a plane With these and other objects in view the invenwhich is substantially 30 to the vertical, or at 60 tion resides in the novel details of construction such an angle that the force of gravity will act and combinations of parts as will be disclosed upon the conveyed coin to cause it to leave said more fully hereinafter and particularly pointed slide and drop into a pocket provided therefor. out in the claims. The device comprises a front plate 1 which 19 Referring to the accompanying drawings formpreferably is a circular casting the rear side of 65 ing a part of this specification in which like nuwhich is provided with a recess 2 of circular formerals designate like parts in all the views,- mation to receive therein the coin slide 3, which Fig. l is a front face elevation of the coin chute latter is retained in said recess by a back plate 4 device; held to the front plate as by the screws 5.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the chute device, The entire device may be'suitably secured to 70 clearly showing its mounting, in inclined position, a Wall 6 of any Suitable Vending C n a by upon a wall of the vending cabinet; the bolts '7, there being provided in said wall Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device with the an opening 8 to accommodate portions of the parts thereof shown in their positions as when the device extending inwardly of the vending cabinet.

coin slide is ready to receive a coin; The coin slide 3 is provided centrally with an 75 Fig. 4 is a view of the coin slide and associated aperture having a milled surface adapted to have parts as seen when the back plate of the device a tight press fit on a correspondingly milled poris removed; tion 10 of a shaft 11 which is journalled in the Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken as front and back plates 1- and 4, the outerend of on the line 55of Fig. 3 and looking in the direcsaid shaft having a handle or knob 12 secured tion of the arrows; thereto by a pin or set screw 13. Next to the Fig. 6 is a central sectional view taken as on the back plate 4 is a collar 14 secured to said shaft line 66 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of by the set screw 15, said collar carrying pins 16, the arrows; 17 and 18 and having a portion of its periphery 30 Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken as on the line milled or provided with teeth constituting aratchg5 7-7 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the et 19 adapted to be engaged bythe points 20 arrows; and 21 of a pawl 22 freely pivoted as at 23 to Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken as on the line the back plate. Said pawl has flats 24 and 88 ofFig. 3 and looking in the direction of the 25 to be in engagement at different times with arrows; a detent pin 26 under tension of the coil spring 90 Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken as on the line 27, said pin and said spring mounted in a hous- 9-9 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the ing 28 secured to said back plate. This ratchet arrows; and double pointed pawl construction constitutes Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a full-stroke-compelling device as will be readily 40 the position of parts whenthe coin slide has been understood. 95 moved to the limit of its stroke when containing The points 20 and 21 are formed in parallel a coin; and planes which are disposed transversely to the Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view similar to axis of the pawl pivot, said points eing engaged Fig. 9 but illustrating the arrangement of parts alternately by the spins 16 and 1'? which latter,

when a magnetic disk is used in place of the in the rotation of the collar 14, cause the trip-' required coin. ping of the pawl. In other words and with par- This invention contemplates a coin chute deticular referenceto Fig. 3, when a proper coin vice for vending mechanisms wherein the coin is inserted and the knob 12 turned by the operreceiving slide is a circular disk carried by a shaft ator, the shaft 11 will be rotated in a counterwhich, when revolv d a p de e m sta ce, clockwise direction, and this rotation will bring will actuate or start the actuation of the vending the pin 17, which is in the plane of the pawl mechanism, there being necessary a coin or token point '20, into engagement with said point and of predetermined characteristics in saidcoin trip the pawl to its position shown in Fig. 10 slide to permit the'required amount of revolution thereby bringing the other pawl point 21 into of said shaft. This device is adapted to control engagement with the ratchet 19 and preventing 1X0 2 further rotation of the shaft 11' in this direction.

When the shaft is turned in the reverse direc-- tion the pin 16, which is in the plane of the.

other pawl point 21, will be brought into engagement with said point and trip thepawl 22 reversely or bring it back to the position shown in Fig. 3.

However, it is to be particularly observed that the pin 16 is positioned beyond the ratchet section 19 and therefore, when said pin trips the pawl, the pawl point 20 will engage the smooth periphery of the collar 14 and slide inactively thereon thereby permitting the shaft 11 to continue its reverse revolution to bring the slide 3 again to its coin receiving position. The spring pressed detent pin 26 engages the flats 24 and 25 to hold respectively the pawl points 21 and 20 in engagement with the collar 14. and therefore it is to be understood that the detent pin 26 is a yieldable means to hold either of the pawl points in engagement with a full-stroke-compelling ratchet.

The coin slide 3 is provided witha coin receiving aperture 30, and an arcuate slot 31 communicating at one end with said aperture but closed at its other end, said slot receiving therein a pin 32 carried by the front plate 1, which pin is to limit the movement of the coin slide in one direction, see Fig. 4. This stop pin 32 is positioned to be effective when the coin aperture 30 is in registry with the coin inserting aperture 33 formed in the front plate. The slot 31 is concentrically disposed with reference to the shaft 11, and is positioned to one side of a cylindrical plane coaxial with the shaft 11 passing through the center of the coin aperture 30. In other words, the distance from said shaft to the center of said aperture is greater than the distance from said shaft to any portion of said slot. From the foregoing description it will therefore be understood that the pin 32 constitutes a means for limiting the movement of the coin slide in one direction, and the point 21 of the pawl 22 constitutes a means together with the ratchet 19 for limiting the movement of said slide in the other direction, although it is possible that the length of the slot 31 and the position of the stop pin 32 may be made such that said pin can also limit the movement of the coin slide by abutting the edge of the coin receiving aperture 30 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 10.

The back plate 4 has a coin discharge opening 35 therein so positioned that the coin carried by the slide 3 will drop therethrough when said slide is near the limit of its intended movement. A pocket 36 is rigidly mounted on said back plate with its upper end opposite said opening 35, said pocket 36 being formed somewhat circularly as shown to avoid the trajectory of the pins carried'by the collar 14. The wall of said pocket parallel to the back plate has mounted exteriorly thereon a pin 37 upon which is pivoted a coin holding lever 38 substantially of T shape, the head of the T being so positioned that pins 39 and 40 mounted at the extremities thereof can alternately be brought into the substantial center line of the path of a coin passing downwardly through said pocket.

These pins extend toward the back plate and constitute stops for the coins deposited in said pocket, there being provided an arcuate slot 41 in the wall of the pocket to permit passage of the pin 39. The lower end of the pocket may be cut away on one side as shown at 42, or provided with a slot similar to the slot 41, to permit operation of the other pin 40, the extreme right hand side of the pocket as shown in Fig. 10 being formed with a,downwardly extending edge portion 43, serving as a stop for the pin 40.

From this construction it will be understood that the pin 40 is normally in the position shown in Fig. 3, being held against the edge 43 of the pocket 36 by virtue of a spring 44 one end of which is rigidly attached to a wall of said pocket and the other end of which is secured to the stem 45 of the T-shaped holding lever. When in this position the pin 40 will hold a coin in said pocket in a position registering with a circular aperture 46 formed inthe back plate 4 which in turn will be in registry with a similar aperture 4'7 formed in the coin slide 3 and also in registry with a window 48 disposed in the front wall casing 1, see Fig. 7, the diameters of the sight apertures 46 and 47 being substantially equal but less than the diameter of the coin in said pocket to prevent said coin from entering these apertures and so jamming the pocket as to prevent passage therethrough of subsequent coins. In this respect it should be observed that the pocket 36 is tapered in a direction toward these sight apertures to insure the held coin, indicated in dashed lines in Fig. 7, being clearly visible therethrough by close contact with the aperture 46.

While a coin is being carried by the slide 3 around tothe discharge opening 35, the pin 18 carried by the collar 14 will be moved, by the rotation of the shaft 11 in the direction of the arrow inFig. 3, and brought into contact with the end of the stem 45 of the T-shaped holding lever 38. Continued movement in this direction causes said pin to oscillate said lever and bring the pin 39 thereof into the path of the coin as it drops from said discharge opening into the pocket 36. The parts are so dimensioned and placed that they occupy the positions shown in Fig. 10 when movement of the coin slide is stopped as heretofore described. It will be observed that at this time the pin 40 of the holding lever 38 has moved from its supporting position with reference to the previously inserted coin, thereby permitting said coin to drop from the pocket 36 into any suitable guide leading to a coin box not shown but readily understood. Upon reverse movement of the shaft 11, the pin 18 will 'be moved backwardly, thereby permitting opposite oscillation of the holding lever by virtue of the tension spring 44, which in turn moves the pin 39 outwardly from under the coin just received from the coin slide, and moves the other pin 40 into position to intercept and hold said coin, when it drops, in registry with the sight apertures heretofore described.

The foregoing description has been given with reference to the use of a coin or trade token of predetermined characteristics in the coin slide 3 to cause the intended and proper actuation of this device. By predetermined characteristics is meant either an actual'coin of proper denomination or a disk of the same diameter and thickness as the proper coin, which disk would be made of non-magnetic material and would be solid or devoid of any apertures therethrough. As contradis'tinguished to such a disk of predetermined characteristics reference is now made to a washer or trade token which has a central aperture therethrough, or a disk either solid or apertured which is made of iron, steel, or other magnetically athaving the predetermined characteristics as well as those which are otherwise formed, the disks of. predetermined characteristics, however, being the only ones which will permit a full stroke to set into actuation the vending mechanism.

In a recess 50 formed on the back side of the front'plate 1 there is mounted a single dog indicated by the numeral 51 provided at one end with oppositely extending lugs such as 52 disposed in lateral branches of the recess 50, the other end of said dog having a point which normally rests against the surface of the coin disk 3, said point lying substantially in the aforementioned cylindrical plane passing through the center of the coin receiving aperture 30, see Figs. 4 and 8. As bestillustratedin Fig. 8, this dog is bowed as at 53 so that it may have a rocking action on' the surface of the recess 50. When the point of the dog is contacting the surface of the coin disk the lugs 52 will be in a plane'spaced from the bottom of the recess 50.

A leaf spring 54, secured at one end as at 55 to the front plate 1, has its free end resting upon the side of the dog next to the coin slide, wherefore the spring 54 exerts a pressure which is intended to rock said dog and force the point thereof in a direction toward the coin slide. If the knob 12 is rotated without first inserting a coin in the slide 3, the point of this dog will enter and pass through the coin receiving aperture 30,-

continued movement of said slide causing the point of said dog to jam an edge of said aperture thereby stopping said slide.

The back plate 4 is provided with a circular aperture which registers with the coin inserting opening 33 in the front cover plate but the aperture 60 is of a diameter less than said opening and also less than the diameter of the coin receiving aperture 30 of the coin slide. The purpose of this difference in diameters is to permit a coin or token, of a diameter less than that required, to pass through the three openings 33, 30 and 60, and fall within the cabinet, preferably into a chute not illustrated but which would return this improper disk to the operator.

If a disk of a diameter less than that intended for use in the slide 3 is inserted in the coin receiving aperture 30 and fraudulently retained in the plane of said slide until after the handle 12 has been rotated a sufiicient distance to cause the improper disk to pass out of registry with the opening 60 in the back plate, then the point of the dog 51 will ride onto the surface of said improper disk and create a pressure thereon. The back plate, as seen in Fig. 3, is provided with another opening 61 which is of a width slightly less than the diameter of the proper coin to be used, so that when said proper coin is employed the edge portions thereof will be supported by the edges of the opening 61 and said coin will not pass therethrough. However, when a disk of slightly less diameter is fraudulently used then the dog 51 will force said disk through this opening and it will drop preferably into a chute for return to the operator, and further movement of the coin slide will be stopped as hereinbefore stated when the point of said dog jams the edge of the coin aperture 30 of the coin slide.

Therefore it will be impossible to operate this device with a disk having a diameter less than that of the proper and intended coin, whether said smaller disk is solid or has a central aperture, because in the latter case the point of the dog will enter and jam the edge of the central aperture, thereby preventing further movement of the coin slide. It also is apparent that when a disk of the proper diameter is-used' but which.

has a central aperture then said disk would not pass through" the opening 61 but it would be jammed by the point of the dog through engagement with the edge of the central opening in the disk. Hence it follows that any insertable disk having a central aperture will be stopped by the dog 51 and make impossible the actuation of the vending mechanism.

If a disk of proper diameter is inserted and which is provided with one or more apertures located near the edge of the disk (and it will be assumed that for such an illustration a disk is usedhaving a solid center so as to pass over the dog 51 and not be affected thereby) then the coin slide may be moved a little further than was the case when a centrally apertured disk was used, but not to such a point where the vending mechanism would be actuated. In other words, on the back plate 4 there is mounted a bracket member 62 carrying a pin 63 whose axis is substantially parallel to said back plate and upon which pin at opposite ends thereof there is freely mounted a pair of dogs 64 and 65, each of which is under tension of a spring shown at 66 to force the points of the dogs through suitable openings therefor in the back plate and against the surface of the coin slide 3. The distance between the dogs 64 and 65 is such that one or the other will engage an off-center aperture in the disk which is intended to fraudulently operate the device.

In other words; these dogs are substantially parallel to each other and are disposed in chordal planes of the disk being used in the coin slide, and whereas in Fig. 3 they have been shown substantially equidistant from the cylindrical plane passing through the center of the coin aperture 30, it-is to be understood that they may be placed at distances therefrom which are unequal.

Hence when a disk which will pass the single dog 51, but which is provided with openings near the edge thereof, is inserted for fraudulent operation of the device, it will contactingly engage the pair of dogs 64 and 65, and one of the dogs of said pair will jam an opening in said'fraudulent disk and stop the coin slide.

In connection with the operation of all three of the dogs 51, 64 and 65, it should be stated that the edge of the coin receiving aperture 30 of the coin slide is provided with chamfers or inclined channels such as shown at 67 and 68 in Fig. 4 so that the points of the dogs such as 64 and 65 may ride thereon to gain the surface of the coin slide, it being understood that the opposite side of said coin slide will have a suitable chamfer or channel, not shown, for a similar purpose in connection with the single dog 51.

So that it may be better understood itis said that the coin slide 3 is made of a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of a new coin of the proper characteristics, but coins in usage become worn so that some time an operator might desire to actuate the vending mechanism with a coin of the proper value but whose thickness was materially reduced. Therefore, when such coin was in the coin aperture 30 there would be a ridge formed by the edge of the aperture extending'abcve the surface of the worn coin which extension probably would be sufiicient to catch the points of the dogs and hence stop movement of the coin slide. This result is not desired and hence the chamfers or channels are to ride from the surface of the thin coin to the surface of the coin slide.

A disk of magnetic material will not cause operation of the vending mechanism through this device for the following reasons. A magnet of horse-shoe shape and indicated at 70 is recessed within or counter-sunk, in the .front plate 1 to be flush with the rearsurface thereof and so positioned that its ends 71 and 72 will lie substantially equidistant from the aforementioned cylindrical plane passing through the center of the coin aperture 30 of the coin slide, said ends further being positioned with relation to the coin discharge opening 35 of the back plate 4 so that a magnetic disk will be attracted and held by the magnet ends before it reaches said opening. With particular reference to Figs. 4, 9 and 11, it will be seen that the rear surface of the front plate 1 is cut by a circular tool the diameter of which is slightly greater than that of the proper coin, the axis of said tool being inclined from the perpendicular with respect to said rear surface when the cut is made, wherefore there will be produced in said surface a pocket indicated at 73 whose bottom is angularly disposed to the plane of the front plate. Further, this cut is made of a depth such that the plane of the bottom of said pocket will intersect the plane of the surface of the front plate in a chord of the cylindrical plane of the cutting tool. In other words, this cut produces a pocket of substantially half-moon shape, thus forming a crescent-shaped shoulder extending across the ends of the magnet which serves as an abutment for the advancing edge of the disk of magnetic material; and said out also produces a ridge 75 where the bottom of the pocket meets the surface of the front plate, and on which ridge the magnetic disk will rock. From Figs. 4, 6, 7 and 9 it will be apparent that this shoulder is formed across the ends 71 and 72 of the magnet, the difference in thickness of said ends being clearly shown by comparison of Figs. 6 and 7. Therefore, when said disk is carried by the coin slide to the ends of the magnet it will be attracted by the latter and rocked on said ridge to cause its advancing portion to move out of the coin opening 30 of said slide and to enter the pocket 73, the edge of said disk coming to rest against the shoulder thereof, thereby stopping further movement of the coin slide. Hence the shoulders created in the magnet ends positively serve as abutments for the magnetic disk and constitute means for limiting the further travel of the slide. A coin, or a disk of non-magnetic material, can not enter the pocket 73 because of the inclination of the coin slide from the vertical and due to the force of gravity exerting an influence on the coin in a direction away from said pocket.

To permit this rocking or cooking of the magnetic disk within the device, the front side of the back plate 4 is similarly cut to produce a similar crescent-shaped pocket indicated at 74 in Figs. 9 and 11, which pocket is oppositely formed to the pocket 73, as a result of which the pockets 73 and 74 as well as the coin aperture 30 of the coin slide, when in substantial registry therewith, will accommodate the magnetic disk in its cocked position.

However, it is to be particularly observed that the shoulder formed by this pocket 74 is not rectangular nor sharp but is decidedly bevelled so that, upon retrograde or backward movement of the coin slide, the edge of the magnetic disk will be directed toward and into the opening 30 in said slide, causing a reverse rocking of the disk on the ridge 75 and tending to break or overcome the force of magnetic attraction' on the opposite edge of said disk. The depth of the pocket 73 is made slightly less than the thickness of a magnetic substitute for the proper coin, for if this pocket were of the same or greater depth then the edge of the opening 30 of the coin slide would not engage the edge of the magnetic disk during retrograde movement of the coin slide to bring back the magnetic disk to the coin inserting aperture 33 of the front plate, and therefore a jamming would result. Also, by having the pocket 74 of a less depth than the thickness of the cocked disk, the edge of said disk will extend therefrom to form an abutment for the edge of the coin aperture 30 of the coin slide, and thus positively stop the forward movement of the coin slide.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction as well as arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore it is not desired to be limited to the foregoing except as may be required by the claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a control for vending mechanisms the combination of a coin slide; a guide for said slide; a pocket to receive a coin dischargedfrom said slide; means to actuate said slide including a collar and associated ratchet mechanism to compel the full predetermined stroke of said slide to effect operation of the vending mechanism; and means including a lever and a pin, the latter carried by said collar and adapted to strike said lever, said means to release a previously inserted coin from said pocket.

2.'In a control for vending mechanisms the combination of a coin slide; a guide for said slide; a pocket to receive a coin discharged from said slide; means to actuate said slide including a shaft having mounted thereon a collar, and ratchet mechanism associated with said collar to compel the full predetermined stroke of said slide when carrying a coin to effect operation of the vending mechanism; means including a lever and a pin, the latter carried by said collar and adapted to strike said lever, said means to re lease a previously inserted coin from said pocket when the last inserted coin is being discharged into said pocket; a magnet in juxtaposition with said slide; and means to limit the effective travel of said slide when carrying a magnetic element in place of the intended coin, said means carried by said magnet.

3. In a control for vending mechanisms the combination of a shaft; a coin slide mounted on said shaft; a pocket to receive a coin discharged from said slide; means to intercept a coin discharged into said pocket, said means comprising a centrally pivoted lever having coin-engaging portions at its opposite ends; and a pin rotatable with said shaft to actuate said lever for releasing a previously inserted coin from said pocket.

4. In a control for vending mechanisms the combination of a shaft; a coin slide mounted on said shaft; a packet to receive a coin discharged from said slide; means to intercept a coin discharged into said pocket, said means comprising a lever exteriorly pivoted at its center to a Wall of said pocket, said lever provided at its opposite ends with coin-engaging projections one of which extends through the pocket wall; and a pin rotatable with said shaft to actuate said lever for releasing a previously inserted coin from said pocket.

5. In a device of the character described the combination of a slide provided with an aperture to receive a coin; a guide for said slide adapted to permit a stroke of predetermined length when said slide contains a coin; means on said guide for preventing a full stroke of said slide when containing no coin, said means comprising a pair of pivoted members engageable with said aperture on oneside of said slide, and a single pivoted member engageable with said aperture on' the other side of said slide, the single member operatively disposed intermediate said pair; a magnet having plural ends in juxtaposition with said slide; and means to limit the travel of said slide when carrying a magnetic element in place of the intended coin, said means carried by each of the ends of said magnet.

6. In a device of the character described the combination of a slide provided with an aperture to receive a coin; a guide for said slide adapted to permit a stroke of predetermined length when said slide contains a coin; means on said guide for preventing a full stroke of said slide when containing no coin, said means comprising a pair of pivoted members engageable with said aperture on one side ofsaid slide, and a single pivoted member engageable with said aperture on the other side of said slide, the single member operatively disposed intermediate said pair; a magnet in juxtaposition with said slide; means to limit the travel of said slide when carrying a magnetic element in place of *the intended coin, said means carried by said magnet; a pocket to receive a coin discharged from said slide; means to actuate said slide including a collar and associated ratchet mechanism to compel the full predetermined stroke of said slide to efiect vending operation of the device; and means including a lever and a pin, the latter carried by said collar and adapted to strike said lever, said means to release a previously inserted coin from said pocket.

7. In a device of the character described the combination of a slide provided with an aperture to receive a coin; a guide for said slide adapted to permit a stroke of predetermined length when said slide contains a coin; means on said guide for preventing a full stroke of said slide when containing no coin,said means comprising a pair of pivoted members engageable with said aperture on one side of said slide, and a single pivoted member engageable with said aperture on the other side of said slide, the single member operatively disposed intermediate said pair; a pocket to receive a coin discharged from said slide; means to actuate said slide including a collar and associated ratchet mechanism to compel the full predetermined stroke of said slide to effect vending operation of the device; and means including a lever and a pin, the latter carried by said collar and adapted to strike said lever, said means to release a previously inserted coin from said pocket. i

8. In a control for vending mechanism the combination of a coin slide; a guide for said slide; a magnet in juxtaposition with said slide; means to limit the travel of said slide when carrying a magnetic element in place of the intended coin, said means carried by said magnet; a pocket to receive a coin discharged from said slide; means to actuate said slide including a collar and associated ratchet mechanism to compel the full predetermined stroke of said slide to effect opera tion of the vending mechanism; and means including a lever and a pin, the latter carried by said collar and adapted to strike said lever, said means to release a previously inserted coin' from said pocket.

WALTER A. 'I'RATSCH. 

